2012 PSLE Discussions and Strategy
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Peony:
Peony, I remember you telling me this last year... that you started way earlier. I took it to heart last year and really revved us up. Thanks to you, this year is manageable.Janet, for your P2 gal - just plan and strategise how she can stay ahead. That was my plan from P1. Not KS... but main goal was to not be stressed. Coz I always believe it is less stressful to keep ahead than to catch up. And your DD will gain confidence.
She can even \"give back\" by helping her classmates.
:thankyou: -
Peony:
Yes, the key is to plan ahead for my younger one. No way am I going to be this stressed again. Bcos the year my son sits for O levels, my daughter will also be sitting for PSLE. I do not hope to have a repetition.Janet, for your P2 gal - just plan and strategise how she can stay ahead. That was my plan from P1. Not KS... but main goal was to not be stressed. Coz I always believe it is less stressful to keep ahead than to catch up. And your DD will gain confidence.
She can even \"give back\" by helping her classmates. -
slmkhoo:
Why no Chinese? Lucky you!! One subject less is a lotta extra time.janet_lee88:
Now I know sitting for PSLE is all about strategy...but too late to implement
can only hope for the best.
Why too late? It's only April! My daughter covered the syllabus with my help by about May last year, spending about 5 hrs a week on PSLE (no Chinese, so only 3 subjects). She had other work to do because the international school curriculum is different. She only began serious revision at the end of June when we got back to Singapore, but still only about 3 hours a day after school. We upped the pace and intensity about a week before the prelims, but she still had a day off a week right through the exam period. Yes, it is about strategy, but part of that strategy is not to work too hard too early as the child will burn out. Our other strategy was to focus on weaknesses and not bother with the stuff that she already knew - that saves time and energy. She only did complete papers when the school assigned them as homework. There will never be enough time to learn every possible thing, so just get him to do his best without burning out. -
slmkhoo:
What gives you the impression that most parents ask for straight As... or that many don't know how to set appropriate targets... or that they don't care about holistic development (hobbies and such)?
I agree with your husband, but the reality is that competition and pressure are part and parcel of the Singapore system. I have lived overseas since my kids were in preschool, but chose to bring my younger girl back to Singapore for the PSLE last year. She only really started focussing on the exams in June; before that, we were just making sure she understood what she was supposed to and learned the content.casamia:
DH is a non-Singaporean. He is definitely one non-kiasu parent when it comes to education. He feels that children are just children, they should play & enjoy childhood, not stressed over PSLE, T-score or which school to get in. They should simply enjoy learning & the learning journey, after all they are just 12 year olds. How much do they know about the “competitive” world in the adult world and why do we parents (and our MOE system) start gearing them into that “competitive mode” at such young age? They should be entitled to a few more years of childhood before stepping into a more competitive world. Are we gearing our child too early? Is it too late to only start in Sec 4?
After spending a couple of years in SGP and now that our own child is doing the PSLE this year, DH can’t help but got “swiped” into the wave of kiasu parents. It is the environment we parents created.
In general, we try to strike a balance between enjoying learning and freedom in exploration for most of the time, focusing on exams and competition only in the weeks leading up to the exams. We feel there is no need to wait until Sec 4 to expect them to focus on results, but we don't ask them to think about exam results from the beginning of each school year. From my observation of Singapore schools and families, I feel that the exam preparation starts too early and lasts too long (it's virtually perpetual), but it is up to each parent to make that decision for their kids. Also, although I know that this is somewhat politically incorrect, I think parents should set appropriate targets for kids, and not ask them to aim for A's for everything. My older daughter has learning challenges, and we always set our targets for her lower than for her sister, explaining to both that the targets are set based on their respective giftings, taking into account time for other important things in their lives like sleep, play, family life and hobbies. If I asked my older girl to aim for straight A's, she would probably have to sacrifice sleep and sanity, but we ask that of the younger one so she has an incentive to stretch herself. Just my thoughts.
Also, there's nothing wrong with focusing on exam results from the start of a PSLE year or even from the start of P5, given that the PSLE has such high stakes. -
slmkhoo:
I think it is too much of a generalization. Already in this thread, you have Peony and myself who believe that PSLE year should also be a liveable LIFE. I won't even be stopping my DS' beloved CCA after June even though most schools do that. I will pay for classes outside school all the way up to PSLE.Chenonceau:
What gives you the impression that most parents ask for straight As?
Seems like the people I know does? And many of the queries here and on similar boards, as well as tuition agency ads seem to be focused on how to score A's.
Janet's child failed all last year. I don't think she is asking for all A at the end of this year.
I do want straight As from DS however, but I think he can deliver... and not at the expense of a balanced life and development. I didn't require straight As of DD at her 'A' levels (because I didn't think she could), but she delivered straight As anyway.
Let's not judge other parents so harshly. MOE, teachers and parents blame parents for not communicating with kids, for over stressing kids... blah blah blah... when actually, in my experience, I have to do a lot of emotional remedial work when the school KILLS the kids' confidence (every quarter) with tests that go beyond what is taught.
There are exams every quarter. Even if you don't want to, you can't help but have to prepare for these perpetually. Your DD won't have experienced this because she was not in Singapore and her PSLE syllabus was covered at home. -
slmkhoo:
Is ok... :snuggles: Didn't want Janet to get hurt.Chenonceau:
Let's not judge other parents so harshly. ...
Sorry, I did not mean to sound judgemental, just stating an opinion. Neither was I aiming the remarks to any specific people here. It's difficult not to generalise in forums like this, so I hope that those who know that they do not fit the description of the 'many' I refer to will not take my comments personally. -
All kids will blossom in time to come. Just a matter of time.
Everyone of us here have different ways to manage PSLE and our expectations are all set differently. There is no right or wrong.
These days I’m trying to be more "zen" about this PSLE thing. I’m learning to accept the fact that should my DS decide to shock me with more shocking grades this SA1, it is another choice he made. He wants to go for DSA which I really don’t know how it will be possible. But I’ll let him try anyway so he’ll learn his lesson. Not everything in life is served on a sliver platter. I’ve also learnt that a high IQ does not equal to High Grades. Attitude plays a big deal. My slow tortoise deson’t understand this yet. -
Chenonceau:
Back at ya!!! :celebrate:
Peony, I remember you telling me this last year... that you started way earlier. I took it to heart last year and really revved us up. Thanks to you, this year is manageable.Peony:
Janet, for your P2 gal - just plan and strategise how she can stay ahead. That was my plan from P1. Not KS... but main goal was to not be stressed. Coz I always believe it is less stressful to keep ahead than to catch up. And your DD will gain confidence.
She can even \"give back\" by helping her classmates.
:thankyou:
Learnt a lot from you too! -
We must appreciate and acknowledge that every child is unique and not one rule nor strategy work for all. I have a DD and a DS and preparing for PSLE this year with by DS is a whole new ball game all together.
I thought I would be experience enough after having gone thru one pretty comfortably…but I was proven wrong. -
Drama Mama:
Which year did your DD do PSLE? What's different?We must appreciate and acknowledge that every child is unique and not one rule nor strategy work for all. I have a DD and a DS and preparing for PSLE this year with by DS is a whole new ball game all together.
I thought I would be experience enough after having gone thru one pretty comfortably....but I was proven wrong.
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